Argentina midfielder Daiana Falfán (8) fights for control of the ball with Canada forward Kaylee Hunter (30) during the first half of a SheBelieves Cup women's soccer match, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Harrison, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

By The Canadian Press

‘This is not a friendly’: Canadian women honing identity ahead of qualifiers

Oct 8, 2026 | 4:00 PM

The head coach of Canada’s women’s soccer team says her group isn’t playing games for fun in the lead-up to next summer’s World Cup.

Casey Stoney says the upcoming games against Denmark in Montreal and Toronto will be about testing the team’s mettle.

“It’s not an exhibition,” she said on Thursday. “This is a game we are here to perform and win … So this is not a friendly. This is about performance, this is about making sure we build on what we’ve built over the last 16 to 18 months against an opponent, how we can take our performances to the next level.”

The ninth-ranked Canadians will host No. 12 Denmark in Montreal on Friday before the two teams face off in Toronto on Monday.

The games kick off an important stretch for a Canada side that’s set to face Panama in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF W Championship on Nov. 28. The country is looking to qualify for both the 2027 World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics via the tournament.

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Preparing for those meaningful matchups requires Stoney’s side to build on its past performances and refine its identity.

“This team’s always been hard to beat. We don’t want to lose that. That’s really, really important,” the coach said. “But we need to take different risks now to try and create more opportunities to score goals while remaining hard to beat.”

While Canada is still looking to secure a berth in the 2027 World Cup, the team is also vying to climb into the top eight teams in FIFA’s rankings to gain a more favourable draw at the tournament.

Playing top European teams — including Denmark — is part of that work, Stoney said.

“It’s very much about performance but it’s also about trying to create that winning mindset,” she said.

Canada holds a 3-3-0 record against Denmark, but the two sides haven’t played since 2017 when the Canadians took a 1-0 victory at the Algarve Cup in Portugal.

The visitors will provide tough tests in Toronto and Montreal, said defender Gabrielle Carle.

“Denmark is a very good side, already qualified (for the World Cup), came first in a group that had Italy and Sweden, so really good team,” she said. “I think for us, it’s good preparation.”

Canada will need to be careful about how it uses the ball and controls transition moments, being mindful of attacking threats such as Bayern Munich standout Pernille Harder, Stoney said.

“They’re very hardworking, they’re very organized, they’re hard to break down,” she said. “And they’ve got threats on the counter. Let’s not hide away from the fact they have some world-class players on their team.”

The Canadians want to be more creative offensively, she added, and that will mean taking more risks.

“This is about how do we build a team that knows they can beat anyone on their day? No fear,” Stoney said. “We want to take on the best teams. This is what it’s about.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2026.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press